Elections are coming up and we’re asking political parties what they’re planning to do on nonbinary inclusion. This is what we sent:

To whom it may concern, I am writing to find out what policies your party has on nonbinary inclusion. Nonbinary is an umbrella term for people who do not identify as entirely male or female, many of whom would consider themselves to be transgender. The Equality and Human Rights Commission figures suggest that 0.4% of people in the UK describe their gender in a way other than male or female, which means roughly 1 in every 250 people is nonbinary. I am part of a group which campaigns for nonbinary rights and we plan on publishing the responses online so our membership can use this to inform their voting decisions in the next general election. Some areas of particular concern for us would be: – legal recognition of nonbinary genders including x passports (eg http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2013-14/907) – equality and protection from discrimination, for example expansion of the Equality Act 2010 to afford protections to a wider array of gender identities – reform of gender identity clinics to allow better access to treatment for nonbinary people including less gatekeeping. – Making laws gender neutral rather than worded in terms of binary gender. For example, the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013; in this instance, rather than making the law gender neutral, it instead added a lot of extra clauses about ‘same sex couples’ Thank you for reading and I look forward to receiving your response. Kind Regards, [name & address]

We sent it to the Conservatives, Lib Dems, Greens and Labour. And volunteers on the facebook page also sent a copy to Plaid, the SNP and Scottish Greens. Results so far (click for full text):

Lib Dems : Summary: UPDATED 30.4.15 X passports and better access to GICs, support reviewing the gender recognition act “for example, trans individuals whose marriages were terminated should have them reinstated if both partners are in favour”, stamp out transphobic bullying in schools, inclusion of positive images of trans individuals in central government publications; 37 of the Lib Dem candidates standing in this election identify as LGBT – one of whom is trans; details of general trans and LGBT legislation they have helped with in the past; state they are in favour of diversity and will campaign for trans rights

Green Party: Summary: UPDATED: Addressing transphobia, LGBTIQ-inclusive sex and relationship education, anti-bullying in schools, funding for GICs, remove barriers to treatment and improve how GICs work, supporting legal recognition (X passports), end to austerity which they argue disproportionately affects young LGBTIQ people, work against transphobia internationally, nonbinary-inclusive structure for their own members (several things including gender-neutral toilets at conferences and gender neutral titles available on their registration forms).

Plaid Cymru – UPDATED: all Plaid MPs have signed the early day motion on X passports. Reply gives general support for human rights and celebrating diversity. Details their work on LGBT rights. Nonbinary people not mentionned specifically but tougher sentencing on transphobic hate crime and work on healthcare and development of a gender identity clinic in Wales might be relevant.

You might also be interested in this Pink News Debate where Christe Elan-Cane asks party leaders their policies on X passports (from 1:14.50 in the video)

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